Electric switch.



W. W. DEAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Arnlcmon rluo'luu1a. ma.

'Pmma Mal 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W; DEAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, *lBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. COR- PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC swr'ron.

Patented Mar. 54.913.

Application filed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 7?,727.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Dear, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a pa-rtof this specification.

The present invention relates generally to electric switches of the pressure-operated type, and more particularly to switches of this class which can be positively operated without the exercise of special care or at tention on the part of the user.

Such switches are especially applicable to situations where the time and attention of the operator are taken up with other matters and a minimum 0111 can be given to the operation of the swite as, for example, in the case of the control switch of an electric horn of an automobile. They are also desirable in other situations where for any reason the operating pressure cannot be carefully applied.

One object of the present invention 13 to provide a switch of this readily operable character in which the pressure-operated member may be tilted about a central universal joint to make and break circuit in all instances. Another object is to provide a switch which shall be comparatively weatherproof under the usual conditions of automoblle service. Another object is to provide a switch which is simple in construction and economical to manutacture. These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be'morc fully understood upon reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the scope of the inventioi'i will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Figure- 1 is a general perspective view of a portion of an automobile equipped with a switch constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a. switch constituting one form of the invention, illustrating also the manner of attaching the some to the spoke of an automobile steering wheel, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a vertical section of a modified form of the invention, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section' of this latter' form of the invention taken on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Throughout these views v,like characters refer to like parts.

Referrin to the form invention illustrated 1 o Figs. 2 and 3, 10, designates a cas- Q ing, 11 an insulating base, Band 13 electrical contacts, 14 a. pressure-operated member for actuating the contacts, and 15 a post having a universal joi t connection with the member 14. and a fix connection with the insulating base 11, which with the casing 10 forms support for the other parts. The casing 10 is preferably of fiber-or other suitable insulating material. The electrical contact 12 is in the form of a ring having a horizontal things by which it is;

secured to the base 11, preferably by screws 16. The 006 crating contact 13 is referably composed of a pair of plates which are pressed outward from each other at the center so as to form aisocket l7 forthe reception of the ball 18 upon the upper end of the post lo. The plates of the contact 13 are secured to the member 14: in any suitable way, as bymeans of the screws 19. The periphery of the member 14 overhan the adjacent walls of the cup 10 and is sllghtly spaced therefrom so that it may be readily tilted about the center fulcrum formed by the. universal joint by pressure peripherally .are electrically separated. The post 15 is electrically connected at its lower end. to the terminal 21 and thus conductively unites the switch contact 13 with said terminal. Conductors 22 and 23 connect with thecontact 1? and with the terminal 21. "These connections may he established in any preferred way, as by inserting the end of the casing }.o-.;erably pass through the casing into the baso 11 so as to hold the parts to ther.

3a. the form of the invention i ustrated Lin *Iigs. 4 and 5, the central post is rigidly to the pressure-operated member sand the universal joint is made with the abuse-or support of the switch, and the switch gpbntacts are reversed in, position. In this 'igmstance, the rigid connection between the post 15 and the pressure-operated member latter, and the-universal 'oint connection between the opposite end 0 the post 15 and the support 'is made by bulging the plates of the contact 13' so as to form a socket 17 for the ball 18, just as in the first instance.

In this case, however, the contact 13 is secured to the base 11 instead of the pressure operated member 14. As illustrated, this connection is made by screws 19'. Contact 12, but is connected to the pressure-operated member 14 instead of to the base 11. Screws 16' serve to make this connection. In this instance conductor 22' is connected to the ring 12 and conductor 23' to a terminal 21 formed on one edge. of one of the plates of the contact 13. These conductors, as before, pass through a stuffing-box 24 formed upon the casing '10. In this form the switch is not shown attached tothe steering wheel'of an automobile, but it may be secured thereto just as in the previous'form. When not thus secured, the casing 10" and base 11 are preferably connected together by screws 28.

The operation of each of these forins will be readily understood from the previous descriptions. In one case the ressure-operated member 14 will be tilte about a ful crum at the upper end of the connecting post, and in the other case, about a fulcrum at its, lower end. Circuit in each instance will be completed between the ring and plate contacts, and the tiltin movement of the contact-operating mem er will be limited by the engagement of the contacts.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated m invention applied to an automobile 30. he switch, designated 31, is mounted on the spoke 26 of'the steering wheel 32, in convenient reach of the hand of the driver. Its contacts are included in circuit with the electric horn 33 and the electric battery, magneto or other source of currentv Although I have illustrated my invention in connection with the horn circuit of an 14 is made by screwing theformer into the 12"is similar in construction to the contact other while bei automobile, it will be understood that the same is capable of various other uses. It will also be understood that the present disclosure may be'modified and altered in many res ects without departing from the spirit an sco e of the invention. I therefore do not wis to be limited to the particular use and disclosure herewith presented, but aim to cover by the terms of the appended claims the various uses and alterations and modifications of structure which properly come within the scope of my invention.

Havin thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An electric switch comprising coiiperating switch contacts in substantially parallel planes, and a universal spacing joint connection between said contactsfor hold ing said contacts a constant distance apart at said connection whilepermitting a relative tilting movement therebetween to enable said contacts to engage at different points upon the application of operating pressure at different places thereon.

2. An electric switch comprising cooperating switch contacts havin annular contact surfaces and a universa spacing joint connection between them, one of said contacts being tiltable with respect to the other while belng held at a constant distance therefrom at said connection.

3. An electric switch comprising cotiperating switch contacts having annular contact surfaces, 9, universal spacing joint con nection between said contacts, one of said cgntacts being tiltable with respect to the held a constant distance therefrom at sail connection, and means for normally and yieldingly holding said contacts out of engagement,

4. An electric switch comprising cooperating switch contacts having annular contact surfaces, ,a universal spacing joint connection between said contacts, one of said contacts being tiltable with respect to the other while being held a constant distance apart at said connection, and a coil spring for holding said contacts normally out of engagement.

5. An electric switch comprising a sup: port, a substantially parallel actuating member, a mechanical connection for maintaining said support and member a constant distance apart at the point of connection and allowing a universal tilting movement of one relative to the other, and cooperating switch contacts on said support and member.

6, An electric switch comprising a casing, cooperating switch contacts within said casing, a contact-actuating member normally in proximity to said casing, responsive to pe ripheral pressure to operate said contacts and limited in its movements b peripheral said the periphery of said cover normally spaced to. to operate said connection for maintaining said member a *iu'eons tant distance from said casing at the pointfdf connection and allowing a universal tilting rockin' mo'y'en'ient of said member relative to sai easing! 7. An electric switch comprising a base member, a contact thereon, a non-flexible operating member substantially parallel With said base member, a contact thereon. a central rigid spacing post between said ,members preventing rectilinear movement of the operating member and on which one of said members has a universal tilting movement when pressure is peripherally applied therecontacts, and a spring for ma ntaining said contacts normally in substantially parallel relation.

electric switch comprising a casing, a contact mounted in said casing, a fiat nonflexible top over said casing normally out of engagementwith the sides of said casing, a contact on said cover, a central spacing post .in said casing preventing rectilinear movement of'said top and on which said top rocks when peripheralv pressure is applied thereto at any point of the periphery for operating contacts, and a spring or maintaining from said casing.

9'. A switch' comprising aninsulating base flat non-flexible op-.

member, a substantiall eratingmember, a rigi central post between said base member and operatin member preventing rectilinear movement 0% said operating member and on which said operatin member rocks when pressure is peripherall-y applied at any point thereof, a cup-shaped contact and a contact having annular contact surfaces for cooperating with said cup-' shaped contact mounted on said members, and a spring for maintaining said members normally substantially parallel.

10. A switch comprising an inclosing casiug having circular sides, an insulating base mounted within said casing, a central post mounted within said casing, a non-flexible cover member mounted upon said post and prevented from rectilinear movement'thereby and having its periphery spaced from the sides of said casing, a cup-shaped eon tact and a contact having an annular 00- operating contacting surface, one mounted in said casing and the other mounted on the under side of said operating member, and a spring for maintaining the said contacts normally spaced apart.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. y

' WILLIAM W. DEAN. Witnesses:

C. E. NANE, ANNE SOLOMON. 

